“I’m not going. I don’t want to burden you even more!” Eligina shook her head.
“Alright then.” Billy nodded again, “Go ahead, there shouldn’t be any danger on the way back.” After a brief pause, he continued with another question, “Do you have people outside the Ice Cave?”
“Thank you for your concern, Lord Dragon. Soya is outside, everything will be fine!” Eligina expressed her gratitude.
“Good.” Billy replied.
Soon after, Eligina bid farewell to the others and carried Jess as she walked back along the same path. At the moment she turned around, she cast another affectionate glance at Billy. Meanwhile, Billy and his group continued to move forward into the passage. They had just broken through from the left passage, so they had no idea what lay at the end of this one.
About twenty minutes later, as Billy’s group continued deeper into the cave, Eligina arrived at the cave entrance with Jess.
“Hmm?!” The guards stationed at the entrance were taken aback upon seeing her.
“your Highness, why did you come out?” Soya, an old man, quickly walked up to her. Then, he glanced at Eligina’s injuries and asked, “Are you hurt, Your Highness? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay!” Eligina dropped Jess to the ground.
“Your Highness, who injured Lord Jess like this?” Another man from Aquilandia frowned as he looked at Jess on the ground.
“I did!” Eligina replied indifferently, then added, “He tried to kill me!”
Everyone was stunned once again.
“Your Highness, what exactly happened?” Soya continued to ask.
“It’s a complicated story. Let’s leave this place first!” Eligina spoke up again.
“What about the others?” The young man from before hesitated before asking again.
“They’re all dead!” Eligina responded, “Half of them were killed by wild beasts, and the other half was killed by Jess!”
“Ah?” All the people from Aquilandia exclaimed at the same time.
“Your Highness, are there wild beasts inside the Ice Cave? Is Billy okay?” Harleen led a group of people over.
“Don’t worry, Lady Dragon and the others are fine!” Eligina replied. After a brief pause, she bowed slightly to Harleen. “Lady Dragon, I have to go now. When Lord Dragon comes out, please thank him for saving my life!” Eligina said, turning to Ivy and bidding her farewell as well.
“Your Highness, what about our people from Northfortia? How are they?” At this moment, a man from Northfortia approached.
“I only know that three people from Northfortia were killed by wild beasts. I don’t know what happened afterwards because I took a different path from them.” Eligina replied calmly. Then, she nodded to Harleen and Ivy once again before turning and leaving, with the people from Aquilandia following closely behind.
“Our people from Northfortia and Aquilandia were both killed by wild beasts. Why are only the people from Glavale unharmed?”
After the people from Aquilandia had left, the man from Northfortia looked at Harleen and the others and spoke in a solemn tone.
“They must have been plotting something, otherwise this wouldn’t have happened!”
“Idiot!” Judge retorted coldly.
“You bastard, who are you calling an idiot?” The man pointed at Judge and shouted loudly.
“Do it again, and see what happens.” Judge glanced at him disdainfully, “Do you believe that I can break your arm?”
“If you have the guts, go ahead and try!” The man continued to provoke.
“Fine!” Judge replied and raised his sword to strike.
“Judge!” Harleen stopped him, saying, “Let it go!” She didn’t want to get involved before Billy and the others came out. Although both sides concealed their cultivation, she couldn’t determine the exact strength of Northfortia’s group. But Billy had informed her before entering the Ice Cave that three or four of them possessed Mid-Late Sovereign Realm cultivation. So, if a conflict were to arise, she couldn’t guarantee the safety of everyone on her side. Furthermore, Philbert Parker and the Guardians were present as well. If there was a clash between Glavale and Northfortia, she could easily imagine that the Guardians would side with Northfortia.
“Ms Knight, he…” Judge spoke again.
“Judge, listen to Harleen!” Ivy interjected.
“Alright!” Judge nodded and sheathed his sword.
Then, the group walked away.
“What’s the matter? Weren’t you just boasting? You’re giving up so quickly?” The man from before taunted, looking at Harleen and the others walking away. “Are all you people from Glavale like him, just a bunch of cowards who only know how to talk big?”
He was deliberately provoking to incite a conflict between the two sides.
“What did you say?” Harleen stopped in her tracks, turned around with a cold gaze, and looked at the man. “Say it again?”
“Oh! This lady has quite the presence!” The man shrugged his shoulders. “Too bad, you can’t intimidate me! People from Glavale are all a bunch of cowards, or…”
Before he could finish his sentence, White Tiger swung his sword. Given his temperament, it was a miracle that he had managed to hold back until now. If Harleen hadn’t stopped him earlier, he would have acted long ago.
“You want to die!” The man didn’t regard White Tiger highly and blocked his attack with a palm. However, his face stiffened soon. White Tiger’s sword seemed to enter an empty space, tearing through his palm and flashing past his shoulder. Soon after, his arm fell to the ground.
“Ah…” The man screamed in agony and crouched down.
Upon witnessing this scene, the people from Northfortia immediately surrounded him.
“You scoundrel! I order you to kneel down immediately!” One of the Northfortia middle-aged men, an Eight-rank Sovereign, shouted angrily at White Tiger.
“I advise you people from Northfortia, it’s best not to stir up trouble!” Ernest Shepherd spoke sternly to them. “Or you will bear all the consequences!” He could also see that the other side was deliberately provoking them. However, his concerns were the same as Harleen’s. While Northfortia’s group was not a threat, the presence of the Guardians on their side changed the situation. Philbert Parker was a true Saint Realm powerhouse, and if he favored Northfortia, their side would be in a very disadvantageous position.
“So what if we stir up trouble!” The middle-aged man sneered and then pointed at White Tiger. “If you’re afraid, make him kneel down and cripple both his arms. I might consider sparing his life.”
“Do you really want to cause trouble? Have you considered the consequences of your actions?” Otis Hum spoke coldly from the side.
“The ones who should consider the consequences are you!” The middle-aged man laughed coldly again. “Enough talk. If he doesn’t kneel, then let the battle begin!”